Category: From the Author

When People Want to Argue Over Your Experiences (A Letter to Professing Christians)

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Our current times have stirred up so many people. I think social media aggravates it, makes people emboldened in their responses, and some are quite mean spirited.

Along with the stirring comes the troops of denial. “There is not a problem. I don’t see it.” Or “It does not affect me, therefore it’s not a problem!” Deniers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Some do not deny, they deflect. They are quick to pull some stat that is negative about people being oppressed, “See, look what they do wrong!” They change the subject to something that could possibly shift the narrative to, “There must be something this person did to deserve this.”

Dylan Roof flat out confessed he murdered 9 black people in their own church to start a race war. Those weren’t criminals. They were in their own church, worshipping Jesus, and welcomed him with open arms. He admitted to being racist and there are still people who deny or deflect from the issue of racism in America.

Both the denier and the deflector gain something. They do not have to express compassion, listen, love, humble themselves, learn, assess any prejudice in their own heart, or assume any responsibility for a solution. It’s perfect for the person who wants no skin in the game.

I had a Christian lady tell me recently, “This is not my fight.” So, as a Christian we can chant against abortion, throw tantrums if we feel sensored by anyone for our religious beliefs, say we follow Jesus, yet completely ignore what He came to do. He came to bring justice to the world.

If we are only pro unborn lives, let’s change the chant to “We care about the unborn. Once you are born, we don’t care. If you are marginalized, poor, a different ethnicity, don’t think like us, or don’t vote like us we really don’t care. Don’t ask us for help. We don’t care about you! Yet you should really get saved. Jesus loves you, but I don’t!” WTHeck is that line of thinking?!

My encouragement to the church world is do not complain or critique how people respond to a crisis you don’t care about enough to be involved. If you do not care about black people, don’t judge how they respond to hundreds of years of trauma; years of injustice, horrific treatment, being brutalized, the government bringing drugs into their neighborhoods, wrongful incarceration, being treated like garbage, their successes outside of athletics/music mostly hidden and any negative stat amplified.

I was traumatized watching George Floyd die and double traumatized by the insensitive or bigoted responses of some people. I saw my dad lying there (he has brown skin). I saw Jesus. Not saying George is saintly. Stating people watched Jesus (a brown man) be murdered and it was okay to publicly crucify him. People stood by and watched Jesus suffer and die. No fair trial, just execution. In America they used to have Sunday afternoon lynchings. They would go to church, afterwards lynch a black man, all while eating lunch. That my friends is INJUSTICE. They probably considered themselves good Christians. It’s funny how our ideas of what is good don’t always match God.

It reminds of the story of the Good Samaritan. The two religious people crossed the street to avoid helping the hurt man. The Samaritan was the only one to stop. Jesus said, “Be like the Good Samaritan.” And not in an arrogant, “I am here to prove my superiority and fulfill my messiah complex.” In a humbling oneself to help your neighbor. Who is our neighbor? All of humanity!

Be silent or pray if there is no desire to love. If there is no desire to love as the church, can we hang our hats and go home? Take off our WWJD bracelets and just admit we do not care.

Can we stop talking about Planned Parenthood? Because racism planted PP in communities of color and encouraged abortion. Black people did not form it, fight to abort babies, nor ask for abortion rights. White women fought for abortion rights and to put them eventually in minority communities. Until the 1980s/90s the majority of babies aborted were white.

Imagine living in a society where the history is to hate you, blame you, make you the butt of the joke, and you see how people who look like you are treated. Imagine the message sent (if it were an honest conversation based on what I have witnessed), “Keep the baby, now if they are killed once they are 5 years old or older society will not care. Your child will become a hashtag for a season, yet overall society does not care about your dead child once it’s born. Even if it’s an unjust murder, your community will be blamed. Oh, and please do not say black lives matter, that’s offensive to us!”

Sometimes in cultural Christianity it feels like people are saying Jesus loves everybody and giving you the middle finger at the same time. At least I have felt this way at times.

I saw a young black female protestor say, “I am afraid to have black children. I do not want them treated this way.”

Someone sent me a “prophetic” word to white people from a white prophet and it said, “Though most of us think they (black people) are just getting what they deserve we should mentor them…” I was floored. It was outright racist and using God told me this. God is not racist. God pulled all people out of Africa. The oldest remains are a black woman. Jesus was not white. He was brown. He would not have even been welcomed in His own church for hundreds of years. He would have been in the colored church. Slave owners would not even allow their hostages to worship God. So Jesus probably would have been out in the fields being beat up too!

If you study American history it outlines in clear English why there have been economic disparities. Everything from slavery, Jim Crow, Black Codes, Red Lining, Scorched Earth, Mass Incarceration for crimes not committed or receiving massive sentences for petty crimes, Devil’s Punchbowl Concentration Camp (freed hostages from the human trafficking of Africans) were put in concentration camps and killed by the thousands, Tulsa & Rosewood Massacres (when black people built wealth, their cities were burned to the ground and hundreds murdered). The system of racism was set up to prevent black advancement.

We never want to forget 9/11 or the Holocaust, yet hid Concentration Camps for black people and torturing/killing millions of them. We cannot hide from the skeletons in the closet.

President Hoover stated he would never allow a Negro (not the word he used) to rise to power like Malcom X or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr unless the government formed that man. During the Black Panther Party era, government officials were sent into black neighborhoods to loot, start riots, and hurt people and blame it on the black community.

I have had my own experiences with racism even the past few weeks.

I believe racism stole parts of my childhood. My mom pushed me to study more, do more, achieve more because she stated, “People think we are ignorant. You are brilliant, yet must work twice as hard.” I did not get as much play time. I did college level work in secondary school. I was moved into a school for the gifted and I hated that school. Parents did not want their kids to be with me or come to my house. I am not that old people! This is recent stuff.

I recall going to an all white church and the lady telling me, “This used to be a white church.” She grabbed her purse and moved. She turned to me and said, “I am not moving because you are black.” Racism seems to find comfort next to religion, this should not be. I think it’s because sometimes in circles of faith excuses are made for sin and Sunday mornings are typically the most segregated day of the week. People are not forced to relate to anyone who does not look or think just like them.

Kudos to pastors trying to diversify their church! Heaven is a multiethnic place. If you don’t like brown people, just wait til you see Jesus and most saved people in the Bible. They were brown, dark brown.

I recall my years working in a laboratory where white people, especially white men would take credit for my work. Sometimes their names were put on reports I wrote. Sometimes those with far less qualifications would complain when I was promoted and work against efforts. One lady told me, “Well, at least your job is secure because you are a minority.” Obviously it was affirmative action. There was sometimes resentment, pushback, lying, and some nasty parts too. You learn to suck it up because companies usually do not favor the person who reports issues. It’s a misunderstanding or you get shunned.

I have overheard and been the target of racist comments. I have listened to the ignorant stereotypes. “They all are poor. They all have kinky or frizzy hair. They don’t have dads at home. They are angry. They steal. Oh she’s pretty or educated, she must be mixed.”

Even with studying chemical/civil/environmental engineering, running businesses, running not for profits initiatives, serving the community, and a gifted level I.Q, I still face racism and racist mindsets. I have worked twice, if not three times harder than some of my peers and have faced dishonor for the way God created me to be. I thank God for who I am. I am not seeking any sympathy. I do want people to understand racism did not die just because we had a black President!

There are more black men in college than in jail, which is a miracle considering racism and profiling. There are more black women getting advanced degrees than any ethnic group. There are 107 historically black universities in America. There is a group on Instagram called the Dad Gang, they showcase black fathers caring for their kids. I was raised by an upstanding black man. We are not ignorant, poor, thieves, violent, nor fit any of the stereotypes. We are also not the anomaly.

Media paints the pictures it wants society to believe. I had a friend who’s mom became racist after watching the news daily. She now hates black people. I do not trust all things shared in media.

Racism is woven into all 7 mountains of influence, including the church. Every time you see white Jesus, you see a denial of who He is-a repainting of His ethnicity that fueled white supremacy.

I do not care what people say about it’s a thing of the past. I saw all the nasty posts about President Obama by people. Some called his wife an ape or monkey. Racism did not die. It’s now being filmed and posted on social media. America was built on the foundations of racism. No one was blowing up my feed, emails, or phone to pray for Obama. No one was shouting “God appoints leaders let’s honor them,” to me during his presidency. They were tearing him to shreds. Now people tear me to shreds if they even think I am questioning Trump. I have been called horrible names by professing Christians thinking I am saying something negative regarding Trump,

I saw how professing Christians have bullied others online, threatened ministers who supported black lives matter, and black out Tuesday. I have watched threatening of businesses too. One platform minister told me she lost thousands of followers. Just for saying black lives matter. Threats, tantrums, name calling…all in the name of Jesus. I have been called some colorful names and threatened too!! What do you do with the angry, entitled, racist in your church? I rebuked one last week. She deleted me. God bless you, yet not apologizing for calling sin what it is. Narcissism must be addressed in church and thinking the world revolves around us. The Gospel revolves around Jesus.

Whether we recognize it or not, the world sees our hypocrisy. The world sees the disparity regarding the causes of injustice we support. The world sees when we don’t seem to care. The world sees racism in the church even if Christians bury their heads in the sand.

The excuse cannot be “I don’t understand injustice,” because I saw Christians going crazy online when they said their religious posts were taken off Twitter, FB, or Instagram. People marched our statehouse and several other states to protest the shut downs due to COVID19. They were not tear gassed, to my knowledge, nor slandered online by any Christians I saw. I believe some of the protestors in Michigan had guns. They had the right to protest during the stay at home orders. But those protestors about the recent murders, that is just George Soros, ANTIFA, and terrorists. I wonder if we are blind to our double standards or see them and just want to pretend we don’t. I can imagine a black person showing up at a BLM event with a gun and being killed immediately, “They looked like threat.”

In this racial unrest, some professing Christians have not demonstrated the heart of a Good Samaritan. I met with protestors, let some cry on me, listened to stories. While some of the Christians I knew watched from their comfy homes passing judgement and denouncing Black Lives Matter, focused on looters/rioters, they missed the whole point.

It took protests and unrest to get the two men who murdered Ahmaud Aubrey and filmed it arrested. He was not a criminal. He was jogging down the street. They blocked him with their truck and murdered him in broad daylight. It took protests and unrest to get the cop arrested who knelt on George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds arrested. Many others have never been prosecuted. If Dylan Roof can kill 9 black people in a church and get walked out nicely, why do black people have to be gunned down?! The autistic boy who played violin was just walking home. Dead. Why are people so upset? Why are they rioting? Why are people crying? We don’t have a racism problem in America! The system is just.

If the system is just, how did Dylan Roof go into a black church, sit through their bible study, confess he killed them for being black and get walked out calmly? The police even took him to get food. Yet George Floyd supposedly had a fake 20 dollar bill and was lynched on film. If you think this is a just system, tell me the last time you saw a white person lynched and it broadcasted? Our white serial killers and rapists are treated with greater dignity.

I grow weary from deleting abrasive, prejudice, and racist comments on my social media. People have been combative, angry, refusing love if they do not agree politically. It’s made me sad to be labeled a Christian. Yet who am I to judge. My job is to roll up my sleeves and keep jumping in the ring. I keep trying to educate people online even when they call me mames or call me racist (they do not know what that word means). I do know because I have lived it! Oh my I have lived it. My parents lived it. My grandparents lived it. My Native and Jewish ancestors lived it.

We keep getting back up even if the world or church seemingly chants, “We don’t truly care about you! You don’t matter. If you say you matter, then you are excluding others and racist.” I keep getting back up when exposed to some of the worst of humanity. That will be our legacy! Overcomers. We have come a long way, yet we still have a long way to go.

I hope something said here helps someone. If you have been an ally and genuinely care, thank you! God bless you. I am thankful for anyone willing to stand up against injustice.

Before I go, I do care about the injustice to police who are doing their jobs or businesses owners looted. I also recognize the catalyst for all the unrest. I do not know how I would respond to all this if I did not know Jesus.

We can deny it, deflect from it, look away, or ask what we can do about the problem. It is a problem. Cities should not have to be burned to get a murder on film taken care of…and for those who say, “Why can’t they just pray or peaceful protest.” The football players tried that; they were called unpatriotic and by our leadership sons of $&!”?’s. Dr. King peacefully protested and he was violently beaten, water hosed, his friends beaten/murdered, dogs let loose on him, threatened, and he was murdered. Can we stop pretending that the protest is the issue and look at racism/rage against people of color. If we do not pay attention, I believe history will keep trying to repeat itself.

Warmly,

Erin Lamb

Civil Unrest & God’s Heart on Justice

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There were no mass riots/mass looting/mass protests before America had to watch George Floyd lynched on film. 

I am against looting/destruction of property/uncalled for violence. 

I am also not sure people see the series of events that got us here. 400 years of fighting for equal rights which benefited all people of color, not just African Americans and we still have some major problems. It was a “whites only” society for hundreds of years. I am stating history, not trying to blame a current generation for what was done. 

Without many African American and non-African American people willing to risk their lives for equality, only whites of European ancestry would have access to great schools, freedom, drinking from the same water fountains, the right to vote for people of color and for women, jobs rights, access to the same facilities, and protection under the law from discrimination. Their sacrifices benefit the Latino community, immigrants not from Europe, Asian community, and other marginalized groups. 

People thought the Civil Rights movement put an end to inequalty. It did not. Dr. Martin Luther King peacefully protested and was jailed 30 times, then murdered. Recently football players peacefully took a knee to protest police brutality. They were publically condemned and called thugs. People peacefully protested so many deaths that were ignored. People tried to raise their voices in civility to say, “There is a problem.” Many were ignored. 

Dr. Martin Luther King taking a knee to pray. 

Now that things are being filmed, cities are being burned and looted, people who are not African American are suddenly impacted, shaken by a reality that has been continual, and saying, “Hmmm, maybe there is a problem.” I am quoting the words of others who did not recognize an issue until now. 

Even still there are people missing part of the root and catalyst. Sure there are opportunistic people across the color spectrum behaving in ungodly ways. There are far, far more peacefully stating, “Injustice is not okay, not on my watch!” 

What gave looters/rioters the opportunity? Were they doing this in mass number prior to death of George, Breonna, Ahmed? No. Breonna was killed in her home. Ahmed was jogging down a public street. Neither were criminals. 

People also forget 1 in 5 Americans are unemployed due to COVID19. We are suffering through a pandemic, economic downfall, and racial unrest. Even before race related tensions rose, people were breaking into cars in my neighborhood. I live in an extremely nice neighborhood. My sister’s friend was held at gun point and robbed at the grocery store for money, and groceries. People are hurting, and some are desperate. Does it make crime okay? No!! 

I hope to God we see roots and stop trying to deal with just fruit. Why? Because I do NOT want a repeat of this. 

Whether people agree with me or not, America’s failure to deal with certain issues thoroughly has created problems later. I will save tackling all the arguments on things people state the black community does wrong for a later post. 

I will say media shows the worst, presents the ugliest stats, and often minimizes or hides the major contributions of people of color. The message that can be propagated is, “We love you as entertainers, athletes, musicians, but overall we do not view you as equal. If there is injustice against you, we may remain unmotivated to help or even at times believe you. You must have done something to cause this mistreatment or it’s a misunderstanding. If you peacefully protest injustice, this will be condemned too. America is great, the land of the free! Respect America even if America continually disrespects you.”

Across the world people are now protesting for George Floyd. Yet in America, there are still people who do not get it, or are focused more on the fruit of civil unrest rather than the root. Guess what happens when we refuse to dig up roots? The same fruit keeps popping up. The riots of the 1990s over the beating senseless of Rodney King did not teach America all the lessons needed. 

We need to cease pretending we are not sick to be made whole! 

I rarely hear sermons on racism unless someone has been murdered. Even then some pastors avoid talking about the sin of racism. People are reacting to George’s death because it was filmed. Normally it’s just, “Oh, another black man died. It must have been his fault. Black people are criminals.” The person becomes a hash tag for a season, and people move on with their lives. 

Black people are painted as thieves and violent when some of the most heinous crimes in America have not been done by men of color. The extreme majority of mass shooters and serial killers have not been black men. When it comes to embezzling money and stealing millions from corporations, it has not been black men. If you look at the slavery era and post slavery, extreme violence, lynching, rape of black women, looting, burning down towns, these were crimes that were not prosecuted and committed not by black men. Yet the narrative is consistently “black men are violent and criminals.” 

I believe the media is partially to blame for the way stories are told. If we do not tell the whole story, it creates blame shifting and bias. Are all white men mass murders, no. Are all black men criminals, no. Are all police unjust, no. 

Across racial spectrums there are sinners. There are people who try to help humanity, and those who try to harm humanity. At the end of the day, we need God’s help. No group of people or person is perfect. 

When we do not know history, it repeats itself. Read about the Tulsa Massacre and Rosewood Massacre. On false accusations of rape, entire black cities were looted, burned to the ground, and hundreds of black people killed on a false accusation. Some of the people alive today, were alive during the time of the Rosewood Massacre. If you demonstrate the way to get justice is to do certain things, understand where the model was set. It has only been 52 years since the assassination of Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King. Peaceful protestors of injustice murdered before their time.

What about black on black crime? This always comes up when a black person is murdered and it was racially motivated. 

I will say racism fuels self hatred. It is challenging to love people who look like you when you have seen and been told you are the problem, you are bad/violent, your life does not matter. When the images of you were/are often negative, it takes God or a strong will to rise above a system that was set up to keep you from succeeding or even loving yourself. 

After the Native Americans, the main recipients of violence were slaves; lynched, murdered, beaten till their flesh came off, women raped, families broken, unable to go to school, unable to marry, unable to vote, refused jobs, towns burned down/looted once you got on your feet. Violence was the language of the slave master. So when people talk about black on black crime, violence was learned. Culture drives behavior. Want a different behavior, change the culture!! 

I hate injustice against any people group. I also hate when people look at fruit and not the root. There is tons of judging, criticizing, finger pointing. I think if we want to heal, we must stop simply looking at fruit and look at roots. How do we heal hundreds of years of injustice? I included some steps below: 

1. Listen. When people speak up and say, “There is a problem,” don’t dismiss it. 

2. Ask God if there is any prejudice in our hearts. I have had “friends” who held some pretty racist beliefs. They slipped out in conversations or times like these. Racism is sin. Attitudes of superiority are sin. Apathy is also sin. Only God can fill us with love for our neighbors. God HATES pride and a sense of superiority (Proverbs 6:16-19).

3. Stop ignoring parts of history that are shameful.Many people did not know about the Tulsa Massacre because it was hidden for 75 years. Watch films like Hidden Figures, Selma, Just Mercy, the Netflix film 13th, Harriet, 12 Years a Slave, Glory. 

4. Learn about the contributions of people of color to America. The stop light, refrigerated trucks, automatic elevator doors, electret microphone, light bulb filament, co invention of the color IBM PC monitor and gigahertz chip, laser cataract surgery, the super soaker, identifying explosives spot test, illusion transmitter, peanut butter, numerous medical patents, NASA space calculations (see the movie Hidden Figures) were done by African Americans. Despite severe oppression, there have been countless contributions. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_inventors_and_scientists. 

5. If you feel called, get involved with organizations seeking to fight injustice. Racism is a humanitarian issue. People in Christianity shout, “I am pro-life!” Yet crickets are sometimes heard when you talk about injustice against people of color. 

6. Shut down racist conversations and speak up! I unfriended some people online spewing divisive or racist propaganda. One lady had to let people know a black lady hit her car. Well, I have had 3 major car accidents where a white person totaled my car. I did not get online and say, “This white person did this to me.” I have not posted publicly online videos or stories that increase division or have not been fact checked. What we permit, we promote. If we see people who are causing more problems and we go along with it, we help promote that narrative. 

I do not want a repeat of this year. I want real change. I desire equality and justice for all people. 

I hate that people are being hurt, looted, brutalized, murdered. I also know part of how we got here was because racism has not a big deal until someone dies or a city is burning down. Sin got us here. The numerous cases of injustice ingnored, got us here. Before there was ever black on black violence there was hundreds of years of extreme, sadistic, and horrific violence and injustice against black people. 

I have seen some of the best and worst of humanity this past week. I hope we turn to Jesus. I will say being out with protestors I have seen the most amazing acts of kindness. People are giving their hearts to Jesus. He cares WAY more about people than politics, being politically correct, appeasing the masses, and material possessions. 

Photo: Circuit Riders (Baptism on the streets in Minneapolis)-Black Lives Matter protest. 

Unfortunately we are feeling the reaping of what has been sown for hundreds of years. We can look for ways to stop the cycle! 

Here is a video that is educational. Racism does not discriminate. It impacts wealthy and well educated people. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=b6sF8qivmEo. 

Here is a great video from the Bible Project on how God views injustice. It is quite informative and non biased. https://youtu.be/A14THPoc4-4. 

Thank you for reading this longer post! God hates racism and injustice. I will continue to stand against what breaks God’s heart. 

Sincerely, 

A friend of God & all of humanity

Erin Lamb

Arise & Shine (Addressing Injustice with Jesus)

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I could not sleep last night so I started writing. Writing is often therapeutic. I hope this post encourages, inspires, and helps someone.

We rise as light bearers…

Pain and evil surround us. If we are not careful to guard our hearts, we can become reactionary rather than instruments of radical change. There are opportunities in adversity to rise to the occassion as a leader of positive change or to sink into an abyss of evil or an eye for eye. Oh, the eye for an eye; it eventually makes the whole world blind.

In the moment, pain can seem louder than reason. It can scream above the voice of God. It can pursue means that yield destruction. It can temporarily place band aids on broken bones. It can move swiftly to deal with fruit without examing the roots. Trusting God can slip by the wayside, drowned out by disappointment, hopelessness, or even despair. Self effort and self reliance can seek to overshadow God reliance. The heart can exclaim in fatigued cries-God can you hear me? Can you hear us? Crying out again and again. When will your justice reign supreme in our land?

I firmly believe He sees. God hears. God cares.

God is not screaming over the chaos. He is extending a hand, a whisper, an invitation to draw near. He understands more than anyone the pains humanity bears. His own Son was murdered without just cause, persecuted, betrayed, and abandoned. Jesus was an innocent man brutalized and hung on a cross. God does not look onward in pity. God enters into the deepest depths of human suffering. He weeps. God comes overflowing with compassion. God comes to heal the deep places inside that continue to bleed. He bottles the tears no one else sees.

It requires courage and dignity not to stoop to the level of those who have violently opposed you. It requires humility to yield to God and forgive even when people are not repentant nor remorseful. Forgiveness is not condoning evil. It is preventing evil from consuming our own soul. It is not forgiving an innocent person; it is forgiving a guilty person. It is releasing a guilty person to God. Faith in God involves a strong belief that the greatest justice is led from heaven’s throne.

We are the beloved of God…

To be the beloved of God is to hold one’s head high in dignity knowing you (we) are created in the image of God. It is choosing to yield to a Kingdom that is higher, a King far greater, and to abide in the one who is pure agape love. It is choosing to grieve with God, rather than run from God. It is choosing the high road, even though the low road seems far easier.

Let no man bring you so low as to hate him, or to return evil for his evil. For darkness is never extinguished by darkness, it can only be expelled by light.

May we abide in the light of God and shine.

As children of God, we fight with different weapons. We choose a higher way. We choose light over darkness, good over evil, and godly justice over ungodly paths of revenge. We abide in God and we rise. We rise again and again!! We shine like stars amidst the darkest night. We cannot be extinguished by adversity…We RISE!

Addition to this post this morning:

I truly believe this can be the church’s finest hour. We can rise in love, dignity, and defeat injustice God’s way. We can demonstrate to the world who God is.

It’s easy to turn a blind eye to things not personally impacting us or our community. Yet I do not believe that is the way of Christ. I told a friend yesterday that if we want to see better relationships with people of various ethnic backgrounds in the world, it must start in the church.

Sunday morning is still one of the most segregated times of the week. Conferences are still somewhat segregated. Jesus is still depicted as European when we know He was not. Racism, prejudice, and mistreatment of people not like us in ethnicity or another variable is still not addressed enough as sin. When the global church arises as diverse, united across manmade racial lines, then I believe we will see radical revival in the world. 🙂

You are so deeply loved! If you are hurting, please know I am praying and Jesus is praying for you.

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

Do You Love You?

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The saying, “Love God first, others second, and yourself last,” sounds noble. It is not biblical. The Bible says we love because God first loves us (1 John 4:19). Then we are to love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We cannot give away what we do not possess. A naked man cannot give you a shirt. God desires we love ourselves as He does, then love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

One of the ways we demonstrate reception of God’s love is by setting boundaries and enforcing them. We teach people how to treat us by what we tolerate. What are your boundaries?

Boundaries protect what we value, so I have some boundaries.

I don’t tell men where I live unless I know them well because I have had several real stalkers. One I had to file a police report in 2018. I never gave this person any indication I wanted their attention, nada.

My instagram is private because though my pofile is mainly about Jesus, men would follow me and send creepy inbox messages.

I take roughly a year to watch and get to know people because of experiences of being too kind and people were not who they presented themselves to be.

I am slower to say yes to every ministry opportunity based on seeing everything that glitters is not God.

I pull back when I see red flags because I have traveled the road of ignoring them and it never turned out well.

I am more cautious being kind to men based on their wrong assumptions of my motives. Someone must vouch for them and their level of maturity.

I do not befriend everyone nor accept every invitation for deep, personal connection.

I do not just listen to what people say, I watch what they do and set boundaries accordingly.

I do not just trust clergy or Christians because they say they love Jesus. You know a tree by its fruit.

I do not go every place invited.

I do not pick up the phone for everyone, or pick it up past my rest time.

I do not spend copious amounts of time with people I do not trust.

I don’t befriend gossips.

I don’t tell everyone my business.

I don’t keep casting pearls before those who trample it under foot.

I don’t just give people money who ask, I pray and ask God. More giving is placed before Him lately. He knows what is wise.

I ask God to reveal who I truly am. I also ask Him to reveal tbe hearts of those who desire personal connection with me, so I know what level of access they need to have in my life.

Wisdom can come by listening to God/others and also through experience. I hope you love yourself as much as God does, then love your neighbor as you love yourself. I hope you have boundaries.

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

Relational Lessons Learned

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20 Relational Lessons.

One of the greatest mistakes I’ve made in life involves misunderstanding love. I loved lavishly without wisdom. Gave some people VIP access who should have had outside the window viewing privileges only. Listened more to what people said than watched their behavior. In an effort not to be a relational snob, to be inclusive, I would befriend almost anyone. Not due to loneliness, because I like spending time by myself. I simply thought I was loving.

Here are some hard lessons I learned:

  1. Love and access are two different things. Love everyone (seek to do no harm). Give people who have earned trust access. Love is a gift. Trust is earned. Some people will treat your heart like it has no value, mishandle you. It’s your job to test who should have access. Guard your heart. Build a fence, not a wall. Everyone can see it’s beauty, not everyone has access.
  2. Some people believe they are great and that they have pure motives, and they do not. Ask God. I ask God to reveal who I am and the hearts of others. Not to judge, to assess levels of access. We do background checks and ask for references regarding jobs or child care workers. Why don’t we investigate people who want to be close to us?
  3. People who do not love themselves, or struggle with hating themselves cannot love you! A naked man can not give you a shirt. We give away the love we possess. An insecure person will struggle with your confidence or success. They may struggle with jealousy, envy, comparison, competing, putting you down, being unsupportive, or emotionally needy/entitled.
  4. If you are doing all the giving, initiating, serving, etc…it’s charity/ministry or associate not a friendship.
  5. Take time to get to know people before calling them friend or giving access to your heart/life. Everyone does not need access or to know your business.
  6. It is challenging to truly know who someone is online. Spend time in person if you can. I have met numerous people who appear like Jesus online and in person they are unkind, rude, selfish, and toxic.
  7. Don’t just trust a person because they claim to be a Christian, a minister, etc…goes back to point 6. Take time to get to know a person’s character.
  8. Some people are ministry assignments or associates, not friends. Friendship is a higher level of trust and involves mutual investment. Friends are trustworthy.
  9. Pray over relationships. God sees what we cannot see. Listen to God even if the person is shouting, “I love you so much!”
  10. We are not a great fit for everyone. Sure, be friendly/kind to all. It does not mean every person is a good fit for friendship.
  11. Some people are attracted to what you carry, they do not value you as a person. They are fans not friends. Jesus has tons of fans, far less close friends.
  12. You can eat at the table with Judas, wash his feet, yet not take him up the mount of transfiguration.
  13. God expects us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, not more than we love ourselves.
  14. If you don’t set boundaries, people will run all over you. People treat you how you let them treat you.
  15. God wants His kids to have great relationships just like a natural parent would.
  16. They say you attract who you are. Sometimes you attract who you are not. If you are happy, you may attract negative people. If you are a giver, you may attract takers.
  17. Selfish people can be dangerous. They primarily think about themselves.
  18. Sometimes the person who flatters you the most is the least trustworthy with your heart.
  19. People say loads of things, watch what they do.
  20. Focus on becoming a wiser person attracts wiser friends. Get wisdom, gain discernment. We don’t owe everyone friendship.

Hope these tips help!

Here is a bonus sermon: https://youtu.be/3kwA9HQ0Zj4

Warmly,

Erin Lamb

Resources For Challenging Times

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We know COVID19 has impacted numerous lives. Some people are depressed, stress eating, juggling kids and work at home, or unemployed. This virus has impacted almost every person on this planet.

I want to encourage you to monitor your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health during this time.

While it is noble to reach out to help others, your health matters too! Stress weakens the immune system. We want to share tips and tools to help manage the stress and keep you healthy. For example, there are certain foods/herbs that help with stress, like matcha. We want to share our knowledge with you.

Maribel Hernandez is a fitness and nutrition specialist in Southern California. She helps clients get back to basics. I have a background in soul healing and assisting people to step out of trauma.

Let’s move towards healthier living! Let us help you. I thought, “what if we call the course Reboot 2020?” When we reboot something, we provide a fresh start! People have been negatively impacted by COVID19, let’s reboot!

Along with tips on eating healthy on a budget, taking care of your immune system, detoxing your system, nutrition, and fitness…I will be sharing on tips and tools for maintaining health in the mind and emotions.

We desire you win in life!

Yes, storms (challenges) are raging around us. This does not mean we need to allow the storms to destroy us.

I hope you join us starting May 15th, 2020! Classes will be each Friday evening for 4 weeks via Zoom. Class times will be 2:30pm PST/5:30pm EST.

Sign up for a $300 dollar value course for only $24.99. We are reducing the cost because we know families and singles are trying to save money. Those who sign up before May 9th will receive an added bonus!!

Go to empowered-free.com/shop to sign up today!!

As an added bonus today, sharing a free teaching on Get the Trauma out from COVID19 and a soaking prayer for trauma.

Get your free resource here: https://www.empowered-free.com/so/f2N6FcA5T#/main

We are cheering for you! I hope you join us for Reboot 2020.

Warmly,

Erin Lamb

Founder & CEO of Lamb Enterprises LLC

Jesus, The Resurrected King!

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They look for you in a tomb,

yet you are not there.

They look for you in a temple, cathedral, or building,

yet they are not your home.

You dwell in the hearts of those who believe in you,

place their faith in you,

and have received the gift of salvation.

You did not remain on a cross,

nor are you bound by our earthly realm.

You rose with all power.

You took possession of the keys of death and hell.

You are the omnipresent one,

fully abiding in those who believe.

You are also seated at the right hand of our Father.

You reign supreme!

Who on the earth or in the second heaven can contend with you?

Though mankind puffs up their importance,

and parades themselves in pride,

without the breath of God,

we cease to be alive.

We are not the center of it all,

you are.

The centrality of the Gospel is you!

You are more than an expression,

more than a historical figure,

You are LORD!

King of kings.

Lord of lords.

Almighty God.

Holy and majestic you are.

There is nothing

and no one on earth more powerful than you!

I praise you with exuberant praise!

Not just today,

every single day.

My heart cries out,

“I love you. Thank you. I praise your glorious name.”

Yeshua.

Jesus.

Messiah.

Everlasting and eternal God.

You are the Alpha and Omega.

You will return and judge the world.

You are perfect justice and mercy combined.

You will come and set all the wrong things right.

Jesus,

anointed one,

I give thanks to our Father for all that you are.

May we turn our eyes towards you,

the author and finisher of our faith.

May we cast our idols at your feet,

for there is no god besides you.

Jesus,

the RISEN one!

Death could not hold you.

The grave could not keep you.

You are the risen King and Lord!

Reign over our cities, states, and nations.

Pour out your glory over our world.

Forgive us for our many transgressions,

let heaven invade our world.

It only takes one word from you,

to shift dead things into living things.

Revive us again.

Awaken us to the Father’s love and purposes again.

Move us past seeking you for selfish gain,

to surrendering all that we are,

to all that you are!

Give us heavenly perspectives,

and courage to move as you move,

and speak as you speak.

Move us past comfortable and passive Christianity.

Revive us again,

with heavenly fire and passion.

Renew our first love,

may you be primary

and seeking your Kingdom

which is superior to all.

May our praise and adoration of you be continual,

not just during feasts or holidays.

May we bow our hearts before you,

and love you more than anyone or anything!

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

Painting: Artist Justine Peterson (Source Pinterest)

Come Into Agreement with God, Not the News!

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Come Into Agreement With God-Not The News

The news reports bad news. People believe it, come into agreement, things seem to get worse. Why? There is power in agreement. The serpent had no power until Eve/Adam agreed with him over God. What we believe and profess is oh so powerful. It is possible to have faith in the wrong things.

I have met people who constantly think and believe the worst. Guess what? Their lives are full of hellish experiences. They believe the worst, profess the worst, and see the worst. Flip it and come into agreement with God. Speak LIFE! Choose the word of God over the media.

We need more people prophesying life over valley’s of dry bones over the “sky is falling” type people. It takes no power to see a problem-speak about problems. It requires the eyes of God and spiritual insight to hear what God is saying and to speak His words. What am I hearing from God (I encourage everyone to seek God for themselves):

  1. The world will know Me, from the least to the greatest that I am God and there is no other God like Jehovah.
  2. Millions will come to know My Son, My love, My goodness, and supernatural provision.
  3. My glory will be seen all over the earth.
  4. I am releasing a company of yielded sons and daughters who harken to the words of My Son to partner with Me to bless the world.
  5. I am exposing hidden things; things done in the darkness will be brought to light.
  6. I am working powerfully in the Nations, though the media shows the world what is negative.
  7. I am continually setting the stage for the fulfillments of prophecy. I accomplish/finish what I start. I am faithful to My word.
  8. I am exposing idols and inviting people to know Me for themselves, to place their faith in My Son, and to deepen their understanding of who I am.
  9. I am pursuing relationship not mankind’s religious duty.
  10. I am tapping people on the shoulder to wake up and recognize the season and times.
  11. I am inviting My children to move past old movements and ways of thinking about what I will do. I do not fit into the boxes created by mankind for Me.
  12. I am revealing that mankind is not God, nor Sovereign.

God wants us to know His voice and choose to agree with Him over the bad reports. As an added bonus I penned some scripture based decrees regarding the pandemic. You may find them on facebook.com/erinlambauthor. Blessing you!

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

God is Speaking in Your Storm

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Peace is not the absence of a storm or adversity. Peace comes in the presence of Christ. He is the one the winds and waves still obey. If He does not calm the storms around us, He calms the storms within us.

An encouragement I sensed from Jesus for the world. Certainly weigh it, test it against the word of God and character of God. Shalom.

“Beloved, I have come that you may have peace. Peace that surpasses your understanding. It will fill your heart and mind as you trust in Me. I love you and I am not unprepared nor unqualified to care for you in any and all circumstances. I am the Alpha and Omega. I have stood with My people through plagues, severe persecutions, wars, and turmoil since they began. I am the one who has the superior wisdom and all power.

I am the one who is speaking above the storms. The media cannot be your source. Sink into My word, My words, and surrender your fears at My feet. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. I disarmed every principality and power, spirits of wickedness in high places. I hold all authority. The Father and I still hold ALL power! We have never been defeated.

Do not allow the evil one to rob you of the peace and joy I paid to give you. Listen, listen, listen…turn your ears to heaven. Lift your voices to heaven. Turn your heart to worship. Worship is war song. It reminds the evil one that he has been defeated. When you worship in spirit and in truth it recalibrates your atmosphere, your soul, and body. We do not encourage worship out of ego. The Father and I know that worship releases heaven in your realm. There is no sickness, death, fear, or sorrow in heaven.

The Lord your God is all powerful. You do not need beg for help. Those who are united with Me through faith come BOLDLY before our throne of grace in times of need. It is your inheritance. I AM your provider. I AM your healer. I AM your peace. I AM your joy. I AM the all sufficient one. I AM your Deliverer.

Break your agreement with the spirits of fear and anxiety and command that spirit to FLEE! Your inheritance is peace despite the circumstances.

Those united with Me will bear fruit in every season. You are not defeated nor backed into a corner unless you come into agreement with the defeated one. I defeated him. I defeated death, hell, and the grave.

Lay down the idols that cannot save you. Place your trust in Me. Some trust in their bank accounts, their leaders, themselves, their spouse, their pastors, their military, yet behold only those who place fully in God will see themselves rise above the storm instead of sink into despair and poverty.

I have the power to take what you have and multiply it! I still have the power to send provision from heaven and call it from the sea. We are still working miracles.

Break up any seeds planted of unbelief. Your faith opens up a realm of the supernatural. Let your faith rise above the storm. Speak what heaven is speaking. Do not come into agreement with the reports of mankind. Mankind sees in part and knows in part. I SEE all, KNOW all, and stand ABOVE it all.

We have listened to mankind cry out for revival, yet leaned on their own strengths and agendas. We will do it our way. We will pour out glory over neighborhoods and communities. We will transform hearts and not a single person will hold the glory. Idols will fall. Demonic systems will fall. Religious systems not built on the foundation of My Kingdom will fall. My Kingdom will remain.

Those who worship in spirit and truth will see things in their day they could not even imagine. The trumpet has been blasting for years to turn, ‘Turn back to God.’ Mankind in their rebellion built monuments and idols to worship. Those idols cannot save!!! They cannot save.

I sent spokesmen and spokeswomen to blast the trumpet, ‘Turn from these idols. They seek to destroy you.’ Many were ignored. The earth began to shake and quake under the demonic idols of the land. For the evil one seeks to devour your world. He has been after worship since pride entered his heart. Mankind’s agreement gave him authority. I took back that authority and gave it to the sons and daughters of God.

I am not punishing the world. The demons beyond the idols are exercising the rights they have been given through human worship and human agreement to attack the world. When times are good, many sons and daughters of Adam turn their faces from us, ‘Who needs God?’ They blatantly sin and mock the precepts of God. Oh yet when crisis falls upon the earth, the same some ones cry out, ‘Where is God? Why did God allow this? Help us God!’

We are merciful. We hate to see the world suffer. Creation is groaning and crying out for the sons and daughters of God to arise to be light, to shine our light into the darkness. I tap on the shoulders and hearts of My friends and children of God to participate in My agenda for the world. Some ignore Me. Some buck the words of the Father in pursuit of self comfort and selfish ambition. My heart cries out ‘Wake up!!! A storm is coming. Wake up! The world needs what we placed inside you. Do not go to sleep.’ Some hear Me. Some ignore Me. Yet I stand in truth, love, mercy, and justice seeking whomever will listen and turn.

Turn to Me, I love you. Bring your heart to Me, I love you. Lay down your idols, your busyness, your selfish ambition, and listen. Seek first the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is advancing. Come into agreement and alignment with heaven. Heaven is speaking. Heaven is pursuing you. I am pursuing you. Look at Me! Will you listen and turn your heart to Me? Turn, turn, turn! My heart is here looking for your full heart. Come to Me!! COME!”

May you and I turn to God and surrender. God is speaking to turn. There can be idols in Christian culture. The things and people that are clung to and trusted more than God. Let’s turn. God alone saves. Turn from idols of busyness, self, selfish ambition, comfort, pleasure, people, politics, worship of ministry/ministers/church/family, entertainment, and anything else. May the reverence for the Lord return to us.

God you alone are God. May we find our identity, security, and comfort in you! Please forgive us for choosing any other god. They cannot save. Jesus is LORD! And His Kingdom will reign for ever and ever!!

Love in Christ,

Erin Lamb

Peace Be Still

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I am speaking

Can you hear me above the noise of man’s report

I am whispering

Draw near to hear

To hear heaven’s report

I am moving

Moving in the hearts of humanity

Revealing I AM the only one

Who can truly calm the storms

The winds and the waves obey me

All of creation responds to my voice

It is humanity who turns a deaf ear

When I am standing right here

Saying “Do not fear!”

Some have tried to mask me

Behind their traditions of men

And dead religions

I am not dead

I am fully alive

Reaching out to sons and daughters of Adam

Saying put your trust in me this time

Systems may fail

People may fail

Governments and economies may fail

Your strength may fail

I do not fail

I am speaking

Do you hear my voice

It is speaking peace into the anxiety

Calming hearts and thoughts

Look up and not around

For heaven is being revealed

The Son of Man is being found

Found by many who never looked my way

I am moving in every Nation

I am moving even when what you see looks dim

Faith is not seeing all the pieces

Yet trusting still

I am speaking to those who will listen

I am speaking truth to mend, save, and heal

For centuries mankind has built their empires

Some have chanted, “We built this! We are great. We cannot fail.”

Yet they forget from the dust man was formed

It is by God’s breath he moves and lives

Only my Kingdom is eternal

I am speaking

Come near

I am speaking

Turn your ears

Heaven has a different vantage point

Oh how we love you and long to let you in

In on the workings of something higher

Something greater

Someone who seeks intimacy over activity

Relationship over religion

My strength is put on display in times of weakness

Lean into me

Keep leaning into me

Hear my voice

Experience my peace

I am speaking

I AM the Prince of Peace

I Am Speaking

Written by Erin Lamb

Time with Jesus 3/19/2020

Painting: Peace Be Still (Pinterest Prophetic Art)

“You are greatly loved! Praying Shalom over you!”